Invitation of the Crescent Moon - Chapter 89

It was late afternoon when the messenger arrived at the Grand Duke’s garrison. The commander hurriedly met the soldier who had rushed over, interrupting his dinner.

“This is a command letter sent by Duke Talion.”

“His Grace sent a command letter?”

The commander was a knight who had been wounded fighting foreign tribes at the border and was subsequently stationed at the Grand Duke’s territory. As such, he was someone who had no connection with Drushia, who mostly remained in the capital.

The commander’s eyes widened as he unfolded the command letter.

“A riot? There’s been a riot in the Almenagin area?”

“Yes. The nearest checkpoint is three days away, making support difficult, and this garrison is the closest, so he requested assistance.”

The prolonged drought had been making the people restless. Angry people sometimes attacked soldiers or fights broke out over minor conflicts, but they had been suppressed before growing in scale.

“According to the command letter, the entire force needs to move, but what about here? What on earth is His Grace thinking?”

“A cooperation document has been sent to the Igraine garrison. They say the duty rotation schedule is being moved up.”

Though it was about a month earlier than the usual duty rotation period, there was nothing particularly problematic about it. After all, hadn’t the Grand Duke’s castle been consistently quiet for the past 40 years, so quiet it was almost boring?

“I wondered where His Grace had gone.”

News that Drushia had come to the Grand Duke’s territory had already reached them. His destination had been unclear, but did trouble have to arise at this very moment?

“It’s urgent. If we don’t move immediately, it might become difficult to handle. The Igraine soldiers will also move right away, so they should arrive within a day at most.”

The familiar soldier’s face looked anxious. The commander quickly reached a conclusion.

“Leave only the minimum personnel needed to hand over duties and go support His Grace.”

On the hill opposite to where the soldiers’ garrison was located, Nile was hiding in the shade of trees.

The outer walls of the Grand Duke’s castle visible in the distance were broken in places, having lost their function as defensive walls. The main castle further inside looked even stranger, with all openings to the outside blocked with boards and such.

The only exposed area was the entrance connected from the top of the inner wall’s walkway, but since there was no way to climb up to the battlements from below, it was equally impossible for people to enter or exit.

However, pondering how to enter wasn’t immediately urgent. The situation unfolding before his eyes was strange.

‘What is this about?’

He could clearly see the soldiers who had been stationed to monitor the Grand Duke’s castle hurriedly departing. As if accustomed to such movements, they quickly formed ranks and moved away from the Grand Duke’s castle.

Only five soldiers remained, lighting fires around the Grand Duke’s castle as usual and keeping their posts.

‘Is today really the day for duty rotation with Igraine?’

Just in case, Nile climbed to higher ground and surveyed the area around the Grand Duke’s castle. However, he saw no movement of other forces anywhere.

‘Something seems to have gone wrong.’

Being able to come to the Grand Duke’s territory using Iben’s trading company was because he had a permit issued in Igraine’s name. Ashika couldn’t keep her promise to go to the Grand Duke’s castle together, but left the rest to Nile’s choice.

Ashika and Drushia had left first, and Nile followed after them. However, since he couldn’t follow closely behind Drushia, who had keen senses, he lost track of them at some point.

So he had found another route to get here, only to witness the strange situation of the Grand Duke’s castle surveillance forces withdrawing.

‘What should I do? This is driving me crazy.’

He could find a way to enter the Grand Duke’s castle alone like this, but a premonition that something was going wrong held him back.

Nile irritably ran his hands through his hair, falling into contemplation. Shouldn’t he inform someone from Talion about the current situation?

‘Where was the nearest garrison? No, it would be faster to find the knights instead.’

Nile concluded it would be better to find the Talion knights who had come with him and got up from his spot.

The Grand Duke’s castle was situated atop a hill rising high in the middle of the forest. The forest spreading below it was deeper and darker than anywhere else. Nile ran through the pathless forest, gauging the straight-line distance to where he had parted from the knights.

‘That arrogant bastard. Making all that noise, then managing things this poorly.’

The arrogant bastard Nile was referring to was, of course, Drushia. That annoying guy who didn’t even blink an eye despite deliberate provocations. That’s how Nile remembered Drushia.

‘What does Lady Igraine see in a guy like that?’

Had she already grown fond of him? It felt like his sister had been stolen by some scoundrel.

Having wandered his whole life without being able to attach his heart anywhere, strangely his heart had found peace among these people who didn’t know him. Ashika, who asked nothing and demanded nothing while welcoming Nile into her domain.

Perhaps she too had endured alone because, like him, she had nowhere to place her heart. Such thoughts made him worry about her even more.

[You’re too soft-hearted to accomplish great things.]

That’s what Iben had said about Nile. So now going back.

‘Absolutely not. Who decided that?’

How could he come this far only to give up? He couldn’t give up while waiting for the cursed future that was clearly visible.

Nile ran frantically through the forest. This was because he had hidden his horse far away to avoid being spotted by the soldiers. It was when he was getting close to where his horse was.

“Who goes there!”

Lost in other thoughts, Nile belatedly noticed the presence of people and stopped.

It was a gap between small mounds hidden by the forest, invisible from a distance. In the middle of the darkening forest, six unfamiliar men were surveying their surroundings.

‘Six armed men. Nothing good will come of getting into trouble.’

Nile quickly assessed his opponents. Among them, the one who appeared oldest turned to look at Nile.

“Are you the owner of this horse?”

His hoarse, gravelly voice carried a weighty resonance. Deep wrinkles were carved into his face, and despite entering old age, his large frame hadn’t weakened, with a great sword too heavy to lift with one hand hanging at his waist.

For a moment, Nile instinctively stepped back. He instinctively sensed that his opponent was no ordinary person.

“Is your inability to answer because you have some dishonorable purpose?”

The dignified voice dropped threateningly low.

“That’s not it. I just stepped away briefly to get water. Why are you gentlemen coveting someone else’s horse?”

“You stepped away to get water?”

Sensing something strange, the men spread out widely to surround Nile.

“Let’s not do this. I’m rather busy right now.”

Even as he said this, Nile’s hand moved to the sword at his waist. A situation where each side looked suspicious to the other. The opponents also seemed to sense danger as they carefully gripped their swords.

Suddenly, Nile’s gaze carefully examined the men’s swords. The decorations carved on the swords looked familiar.

“Huh? By any chance, are you knights of Talion?”

Nile’s hardened expression completely relaxed. Unable to hide his pleased expression, doubt appeared on the old man’s face. Among the people of the Grand Duke’s territory, there were few who welcomed Talion.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Nile. But my name isn’t what’s important right now. I was with Duke Talion until yesterday. I was actually on my way to find the knights of Talion.”

“You were with Drushia?”

“Excuse me, do you know His Grace?”

Judging him not to be an enemy, the old man removed his hand from his sword and gestured to the knights. The tense atmosphere disappeared instantly.

“That fellow is my one and only grandson, so I know him well enough.”

Nile’s mouth fell open in surprise.

“Could it be, the Old Duke of Talion?”

“I am called Neoren. But why is my grandson’s companion wandering the forest alone?”

Nile realized he had found the right person to deliver the news to. But how could he explain it so they would believe him?

“Ah, well…”

Suddenly, though no wind was blowing, the forest swayed. Soon, as if black grime was being peeled away, birds took flight all at once toward the sky. The noise of the forest stirring and the clamorous sounds of crying birds.

The knights’ gazes turned toward the birds that rose like black clouds and quickly disappeared into the distance.

“Huh.”

“What is this about?”

Before they could even collect themselves, another strange occurrence happened. Rumble—vibrations that shook the earth flowed through the ground and transmitted through their entire bodies.

“That’s the direction of the Grand Duke’s castle.”

The ominous premonition seemed determined not to pass by. Nile felt goosebumps rising all over his body.

“Old Duke, you may not believe me, but I saw the Talion soldiers stationed at the Grand Duke’s castle withdrawing.”

“What are you talking about? Who would give such an absurd order!”

At the shocking news, Neoren’s eyes bulged as he raised his voice. However, Nile didn’t back down and spoke his piece.

“I don’t know the reason either. That’s why I was on my way to find the knights of Talion. I thought someone should know.”

“The commander of the Grand Duke’s castle garrison is my grandson. That fellow wouldn’t do such a crazy thing.”

“Yes, probably not. I’m certain he wouldn’t.”

Drushia had chosen a different route to enter the Grand Duke’s castle while avoiding Talion’s soldiers. So this was something that happened without Drushia’s knowledge.

“For now, I can only ask you to believe me. Since Duke Talion isn’t here right now.”

Neoren didn’t ask where Drushia was. His sharp eyes looking at Nile felt like he knew where he had headed.

A dangerous action that both knew about but couldn’t mention aloud. Nile had a vague understanding of why Neoren had rushed here.

Neoren looked back at the knights who had accompanied him with a rigidly hardened face.

“You go to the nearest garrison, report the facts, and tell them to gather all available forces and come to the Grand Duke’s castle.”

“Yes, understood.”

The knight who received the order immediately mounted his horse without question.

“You said your name was Nile? I need you to help me.”

Nile looked at Neoren with eyes full of questions.

“I need to find my grandson. You would know better than I where he went, wouldn’t you? Lead the way.”

The heavily subdued voice of the old duke made his shoulders shrink unconsciously. The momentum that could crush an opponent in an instant allowed no room for argument.

Nile pressed his lips tightly together and untied the reins of his horse that had been tied to a tree. While urging their horses toward the Grand Duke’s castle, neither Neoren nor any of the remaining knights spoke a word.

Neoren shuddered so much that his hair stood on end. This was because a memory that none of those present had ever experienced came to mind.

Just once, 40 years ago, there had been such a day.